By IANS
New Delhi : The Supreme Court will examine Monday if the action taken by police during the Gujjar community's violent agitation in four states including Rajasthan, which left 25 dead, was sufficient and appropriate.
Taking suo moto note of the large-scale violence by community members in four states, paralysing normal life also in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, a vacation bench of Justices Arijit Pasaayat and D.K. Jain had asked June 5 the police chiefs of the four states to explain what steps they had taken to contain the violence.
The Gujjars were protesting to press for their demand for Scheduled Tribe status.
Describing the week-long violence till June 4 as "national shame", the bench had sought video footage of news coverage on the agitation from various TV channels for assessment by senior advocate Rajiv Dhawan, appointed amicus curiae to assist it in adjudication of the case.
The police chiefs of the four states on June 15 filed their affidavits on the action taken by them during the stir.
In its affidavit, Delhi police told the court that while 54 people were arrested for indulging in violence, 1,034 others were taken in custody under preventive detention.
In its affidavit, Rajasthan said the Gujjar agitation went out of control despite best efforts taken to control violence. It, however, added that the state police were able to contain the agitation by May 31.
Rajasthan Director General of Police A.S. Gill said in his affidavit that 2,081 preventive arrests were made, while 352 criminal cases were lodged. He said that 265 accused are in jail and 68 are on bail.
Haryana Director General of Police R.S. Dalal in his affidavit said a total of nine first information reports (FIRs) were registered in five districts of the state – Kaithal, Faridabad, Panipat, Yamunanagar and Gurgaon. He said 35 people had been booked for indulging in violence and 34 preventive detentions made.